Trapped Hearts
by Janiqua
Summary: Short novelization directly from Kingdom Hearts II. Hollow Bastion. Organization XIII needs Sora in order to exist. And so they set a trap for him. One from which he cannot escape. SPOILERS!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This part of the game was one of my all time favorites! I felt so bad for Sora… The first time I watched it, it literally gave me the chills. Anyway, why else would I be writing a novelization of it? Please read and definitely review!

**Warning:** This story has major, and I mean _major_, spoilers to Kingdom Hearts II. Don't read it unless you really don't mind.

**BTW:** I tried not to put in the characters' names unless Sora, Donald, and Goofy actually knew them. Of course, the three fairy treasure hunters' names are Yuna, Rikku, and Paine. No secret about that. I made an exception with Tifa, though, and I had Axel mention Saïx's name, even though he doesn't in the game until much, much later. Saïx is just too important a character to keep calling Nobody the whole time. Anyway, I hope no one minds! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts II. I love the story, but I don't take any credit for it.

**ooooooo**

_I can't believe this… It feels like… Maybe everything we've done… Maybe it was all for nothing… _

The Ansem they had known… The Ansem they had fought… He wasn't who they thought he was. He was nothing but a Heartless! Someone _else's_ Heartless, for that matter. He wasn't even Ansem's. The King had known Ansem. The King had been Ansem's friend! How were they supposed to accept a revelation like that, after everything Ansem's imposter's Heartless had put them through? And now… to make matters even _worse_, the King knew something about Riku. He knew something about Riku, and he wasn't telling! _Why_?

It felt like… they were right back where they had started. Ansem hadn't been defeated. In actuality, he might not even _have_ to be defeated now! He wasn't the bad guy here! He might even be on their side! None of them had any clue as to where Kairi was, since her abduction, and though Riku was closer to Sora _now_ than he had ever been before since closing the door to that realm of darkness, he might as well have been on the other side of the universe in a completely different realm, for all that the King would tell them.

_Why won't he trust me with this?_ Sora wondered. Hadn't he done enough? Hadn't he proven himself? Why couldn't he just find his friends? All he wanted was Riku and Kairi back! He just wanted to be with them again! Was that too much to ask for? His chest tightened painfully. Why had he come this far… when King Mickey wouldn't even point him back in the right direction?

"Sora. Donald. Goofy." Mickey wasn't looking at them. He was staring at the portrait of Ansem's imposter. Sora took a moment to look it over one last time as well. That man… with his aristocratic face… his intelligent eyes… Why did he have to go and cause so much trouble? Sora felt his fists clench tightly in extreme dislike.

"I was plannin' to go get help from Ansem the Wise. But…" The King paused and spun around, glancing back at his three companions with a great big smile that was simply irresistible. Sora felt his tension ebbing away very quickly as a new and unexpected, but not unwelcome, hope buried its way into his heart. Mickey held up his hands in a gesture of friendship. "Now I know I forgot the most important thing. Helping others should always come before asking others for help."

Sora smiled. That was a philosophy he was all too familiar with… because it was his own. He had _always_ helped others whenever he could. Even complete strangers! One could never have too many friends.

"We're safe and sound," King Mickey went on enthusiastically. "And free to choose! So there's no reason we shouldn't _choose_ to help our friends."

_Now we're getting somewhere,_ Sora thought happily as Donald and Goofy nodded their heads in agreement. _Riku… Kairi…_

"Let's look for Riku and Kairi together," Mickey suggested happily.

_I'm almost there! We'll be together again really soon! _Sora could hardly contain his excitement. Whatever had happened to Riku… It didn't matter now that King Mickey wouldn't explain it to Sora. All that mattered now was that King Mickey would take Sora to him! And then, they'd all rescue Kairi together, defeat Organization XIII, and… and go home… at long last…

It seemed _so_ possible. _So_ close. Sora was ready for it! But… before he could so much as say "Let's go!" – there was an explosion. A loud explosion. It literally _shook_ Ansem's study's walls, nearly knocking the King right off his feet. Goofy gasped, Donald quacked, and Sora felt his body tense again as he prepared himself for anything.

"Outside!" he exclaimed as a somber look crossed Mickey's face. Sora – even though he didn't know the King half as well as Donald and Goofy did – understood that look perfectly well. His hopes of finding Riku and Kairi in a matter of minutes abandoned him… and he felt his heart sinking miserably.

"Sounds like we gotta start by helpin' out here!" Mickey told them, before jumping past them and bounding into the maze of corridors that led back outside to the postern. Goofy started after him without hesitating, and Donald followed. Only Sora paused for a moment to think, struggling to recuperate from that onslaught of information. Ansem… Heartless… Imposters… Nobodies… Organization XIII… Riku… _Help me get through this… please!_

**ooooooo**

The Heartless… Beings with no bodies; no souls. They were corroded hearts that had been consumed by darkness. Now, they were little more than monsters. Sora didn't know how many he had fought since the Keyblade chose him to be its wielder. Hundreds. Thousands. It didn't really make a difference. The Heartless couldn't be allowed to thrive.

And then there were the Nobodies. Sora didn't know much of anything about them. They were… the leftovers. People are made up of hearts, bodies, and souls. When the heart is lost, it becomes Heartless. Nobodies were born out of the remaining body and soul. They weren't accepted by the darkness, nor by the light, simply because they were without hearts. However… Sora had been warned not to sympathize with them. Yen Sid had warned him that the Nobodies would _pretend_ to have feelings… but that it was only just a "ruse."

_"They will all attempt to do you harm." _Sora had no reason not to trust Yen Sid. He had been King Mickey's own teacher. Goofy and Donald held him in the highest regard. If he said that the Nobodies had to be stopped, than Sora would do all that he could to stop them.

In any event, when he and his friends left Ansem's study and made their way into the corridors through which King Mickey had already gone, the Heartless and the Nobodies were having at it, fighting each other with a ferocity that quite surprised the boy. He had only seen such force directed at… well… directed at him before!

The Nobodies were winning. That much was certain. Sora hesitated, wondering if he should just allow the Heartless to be defeated. That would certainly make _his_ job a heck of a lot easier. Donald and Goofy stood at his side, waiting for his lead. It was only then, when something on the far side of the corridor flashed brightly into brilliant green flames, that Sora realized Maleficent must have been there as well, concealed around some corner or other in that twisting maze of hallways. He started, holding up the Keyblade, as the evil old witch _seemingly_ fled from the scene. Her presence, however, most definitely remained.

"Heartless!" Her voice echoed menacingly around the hall. "Leave the white ones. Turn your attention to Sora and his friends!" The Heartless paused – as did the Nobodies, for that matter.

_Great,_ Sora thought. He might not have noticed Maleficent, but she had _definitely_ noticed him! Goofy gulped as the Heartless dove towards them – with the Nobodies directly on their heels.

Donald squawked, instinctively holding up his staff. Lightning spewed down on the Heartless in the front as Sora dove forward, dodging between them and towards the Nobodies. He didn't have to look back to know without a doubt that Goofy and Donald could take care of themselves. Vaulting into the air, he attacked the Nobodies from above. Within seconds, they were gone, and Sora landed squarely on his feet.

Goofy and Donald raced towards him, their faces lined with concern. The King had gone on ahead, and now they _needed_ to catch up! If anything happened to Mickey Mouse…

"Where's Maleficent?"

Huh? Sora, Donald, and Goofy all turned their heads to discover those three little winged troublemakers from before. Their leader was a girl dressed in blue, pink, and white, who had brown hair. Her friend, who undeniably liked to talk, was a blonde wearing yellow and red. And the third, who seemed to be the most serious and callous of the bunch, was clad in black. It was the leader, they quickly concluded, who had been the one to address them.

Sora stepped towards her, knowing perfectly well that they were all in service to Maleficent, but, strangely, not feeling in the least bit threatened by them. In fact, they were kind of cute… He released the Keyblade – which flashed in a silvery beacon of light before ultimately disappearing – and crossed his arms with a shrug. "Looks like she ran away."

The blonde scoffed. "Well, that was PRET-ty lame of her."

The girl clad in black didn't look to be at all pleased either. "I guess we picked the wrong side." It would seem that such a prospect, to _her_, was more of an inconvenience than anything else. Somehow, Sora got the impression that _she_ certainly didn't feel any loyalty whatsoever to Maleficent. Like Jack Sparrow, Captain of the infamous Black Pearl, it was as if she merely wanted to claim some kind of profit for herself.

Presently, she and her two fairy friends, if that's what they were, turned away from Sora and quickly circled round each other, whispering incoherently. The boy couldn't tell what it was they were saying, exactly, except that it was something about "treasure," a "big chance," and how Maleficent was "lame." Well, whatever they were talking about, their conversation seemed to drag on. Sora wondered if it was ever going to end. How long, exactly, could three girls talk before running out of things to say?

Goofy stood beside him, waiting for them as patiently as ever, but Donald was starting to tap his webbed foot, which was really _never_ a good sign. They had work to do! Sora took another step forward. "Umm, hey… if you're looking to pick sides, why don't you pick Leon's?" It never even once occurred to the boy to ask for them to pick _his_. "They can always use help."

The three fairies spun back around and regarded him thoughtfully. Their leader and the blonde definitely looked to be considering, but, even now, the girl clad in black almost didn't seem to particularly care about what decision was made.

Their leader floated forward towards Sora. "Does this Leon have any treasure?"

"Yeah, lots of stuff!" Donald quacked, feigning enthusiasm – though Sora could tell he was actually impatient and ready to go. In any case, _he_ definitely didn't care about what was said, so long as it was said quickly so that they could leave!

"Perfect!" The blonde triumphantly tossed her arms up into the air. Though neither she nor her leader seemed to be at all _greedy_, there was, however, without a doubt, a hint of glee surrounding them that spoke of a real love for pirating.

The girl in black nodded, turning away from the lot of them. "Come on." The other two made to follow, but at that moment, much to Donald's dismay, Sora grew somewhat curious.

"Who _are_ you?" he asked, sounding eager. If they were going to be joining up with Leon, he might as well at least know their names, after all!

Their leader turned back towards him with a knowing smile. "Oh, we're nothing worth mentioning."

"Just three treasure fanatics," the girl in black informed him coolly. Well, Sora thought, they obviously weren't looking for fame and glory. Unless they were hoping for a label or something. Sora decided then and there that _he_ certainly wouldn't give them one! They would just have to impress someone else with their mischief to gain infamy.

The blonde chuckled. "Later, taters!" With an audible pop, and a flash of sparkling yellow, pink, and white light, the three fairies disappeared into thin air. Sora couldn't help but smile. He couldn't deny those girls had, if nothing else, style, to say the least.

He shook his head and glanced back at Donald questioningly, but in good amusement. "Did Leon… really have any treasure?" Somehow, the mercenary didn't strike the boy as someone who kept hordes of gold hidden beneath his mattress.

Donald was snickering rather spitefully. Sora thought he could almost tell exactly what it was that the wizard was thinking. _Don't get in our way! _Donald was out looking for his King, and didn't have time for anything else! Goofy took a step towards his friend, who must have sensed disapproval. Without a word, he tore off sprinting down the hall, which left his friends with no choice but to follow.

**ooooooo**

There were more Nobodies waiting for them when they left the maze of corridors between Ansem's study and the postern. The three fairies had provided a sufficient and much needed distraction for Sora just a few minutes ago, but all it took was a handful of Nobodies to remind the boy exactly what it was that he was _really_ dealing with right now. Urgency filled up in his lungs, as did the beginnings of frustration.

"We don't have time for you!" Wielding the Keyblade once again, he batted them aside, one by one, and hastened upwards towards the postern with Donald and Goofy remaining as his constant shadows. Together, they made their way up the ramp…

…only to be ambushed by a flash of silvery green light that slammed down powerfully against the ground in their way.

"Whoa!" Sora stopped short, giving Donald and Goofy barely time enough to keep from crashing into him. _What now?_ they all wondered anxiously as the light before them instantly dissolved into nothing. What would be there now… in its place…?

Sora's eyes widened in shock. Beside him, Donald narrowed _his_ eyes in resent. Goofy just looked stunned. In place of that flash of light… there was a man! And as he straightened up to his full height, it was _painfully_ clear to the three of them that this man held a power in him, a might and an intensity, that they _definitely_ didn't want to test. He was dressed completely in black… His hair was long and silver… And he had a large, single black wing that made him look almost exactly like a fallen angel. When he turned around to face Sora, there was a hard glint in his turquoise eyes that put the boy immediately on his guard. Here was another enemy…

"Sora, it's Sephiroth!" Donald quacked fretfully. But the boy already knew that, having spotted, just a second ago, the long, lethal looking blade that the man was carrying with him. Cloud had warned them, after all, hadn't he? Tifa was looking for Cloud. Cloud was looking for Sephiroth. And here was Sephiroth right now… standing right in front of them.

"Ain't Sephiroth the one who's supposed to be the dark part of Cloud's heart?" Goofy slowly asked in deep concern. Sora nodded. Cloud was his friend. Cloud and Leon… Yuffie… Aerith… Cid and Tifa… They were all part of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee. He wasn't about to let someone like Sephiroth upset that!

But… Sephiroth was just standing there, watching them callously. _He_ wasn't in the least bit concerned. And when he talked to them, he spoke in absolute, perfect composure, with a hint of conquest in his tone that Sora definitely didn't like. "Did Cloud tell you that? Then he must understand now."

"Just what are you gonna do to him?" Sora demanded warily, and slightly disquieted. It seemed like he had already lost one friend to the darkness. Riku… He just _couldn't_ let anything happen to Cloud now!

"Nothing," Sephiroth calmly replied. "Cloud is the one who hungers for darkness."

_No_… That was exactly what Sora feared the most… He didn't want it to be true! He took a step forward, holding up his Keyblade. Time to be confrontational! "He said he's got a score to settle with you!" So there! Cloud didn't hunger for darkness! He wanted to get even with it!

"I see," Sephiroth didn't look at all fazed. "He wants to meet me again." The man turned around, ignoring Sora's astonishment. "Then I should give him what he wants. That last bit of light is always the hardest to snuff out." Sora started towards him, more than willing to initiate a fight and cut the soldier down then and there. But Sephiroth was faster. He took off into the sky, using his one wing to fly. A moment later, and he was gone.

"Cloud…" Sora whispered, staring up after Sephiroth. He hoped his friend would be okay. He hoped nothing would happen to him. After all… if Cloud couldn't find his way through the darkness… would there be any hope for Riku? Riku… Where was Riku? Where? Why? When would they be together again?

"Sora…?" Goofy and Donald were approaching him from behind. They didn't have time for anymore distractions! With each and every passing second, they were falling more and more behind! They needed to catch up with the King!

"Let's go!" he exclaimed, taking off towards the Restoration Site that lay beyond the postern. His friends followed as loyally and as closely behind him as ever. They wouldn't leave him. Together, they _would _catch up with King Mickey. And they _would_ find Riku and Kairi again.

**ooooooo**

**A/N:** It's not over yet! Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

**ooooooo**

The Restoration Site was not named thus for nothing. The whole place was in shambles! There was debris _everywhere_, along with broken pipes, pieces of heavy equipment, and other such tools used by the Restoration Committee as they all worked painfully hard to put Hollow Bastion back together again. Unfortunately, it was in more of a mess than usual now as the Heartless swarmed through it, bringing with them destruction and chaos. There was no question about it – they wouldn't stop until Hollow Bastion was nothing more than an abandoned ruin.

"Leon!" Sora shouted, catching sight of the man as he and his friends rushed into the fray. The SeeD mercenary had out his Gunblade, and was fighting the Heartless with ruthless efficiency. Sora couldn't help but remember the first time he had met the guy. The two of them, naturally and inevitably, had found themselves fighting over the Keyblade, and though Sora had definitely proven himself to the older man, back then he had simply lacked the mercenary's greater endurance. It felt like a lifetime ago…

"Sora!" Aerith appeared from behind a band of Heartless. And though the boy was more than a little surprised – and impressed – to see her there, he took heed of her exclamation immediately. After all, the woman was _definitely_ not someone to be taken lightly. "Behind you!"

The boy spun around just in time to ward off a Nobody. "Guard Aerith!" he shouted at Donald and Goofy before diving towards several other Nobodies that were only now spilling into the Restoration Site. If it hadn't of been for his presence there, Leon would not only have been outnumbered, but impossibly surrounded as well.

Goofy and Donald rushed to obey Sora's command. The Knight quickly held his shield up to shelter Aerith even as the wizard cast spell after spell to vaporize any Nobody or Heartless that got too close. By the time those monsters were all destroyed, Donald, Sora, and even Leon had to fight to catch their breaths.

"The King's in the bailey," the mercenary eventually informed Sora, without so much as even bothering to say thank you. "You better head over there!"

Donald and Goofy wasted no time whatsoever in obeying. They both raced up the hill towards the ramparts as quickly as they could, and Sora knew better than to let _them_ out of his sight. He waved to Leon and Aerith over his shoulder as he followed. "Got it!" Both of them were watching him go, and somehow… he could _tell_ that they were both incredibly worried… which was unnerving enough as it was. Sora turned and tried to concentrate only on what was ahead of him, striking down any and all Heartless that so much as got in his way. It seemed like… every time that he did so, a small pink heart was released into the sky. He had seen them floating upwards so many times before after slaying Heartless with his Keyblade that it no longer even struck him as _slightly_ unnatural. He had… just been doing it for so long…

There were so many… that even Leon was worried! He had tried hiding it. He was good at hiding it. But still… he _felt_ it, and that was what troubled Sora. He presently climbed up the ramparts and into the bailey, but the King was nowhere in sight. Why didn't this surprise him? Mickey _never_ seemed to be with Leon when he should have been, nor ever where Leon said he was going to be at a certain time. Sora knew he should probably get used to feeling that kind of disappointment.

Glancing left and right, he quickly caught sight of Donald and Goofy. The two of them were standing stock still and painfully erect by a large rock formation not too far away near the edge of the bailey. It overlooked a wide expanse of cliffs and ledges that led downwards away from the town. And from there, Sora could see literally thousands upon thousands of Heartless quickly making their way up. "Whoa…"

His stomach clenched. There were too many! It _had_ to have been close to ten thousand to one! How were they supposed to…? No _wonder_ Leon had been worried! These weren't good odds. They weren't even _close_ to good odds. But then…

There was Yuffie! Sora could see her down there in the middle of it all, swinging her shuriken in every direction until she just couldn't do it any longer! And when she couldn't do it any longer… there was Aerith at her side! With a flick of her wrist, Aerith used her own resources to heal the ninja princess, who immediately jumped back into action.

Stitch appeared! The little blue troublemaker – apparently from outer space – who was literally responsible for getting Sora, Donald, and Goofy sucked into that computer program back at Ansem's. With two plasma shooters, the alien took out Heartless after Heartless.

Meanwhile, the fairy from earlier who was clad in black allowed herself to be chased by a Heartless over to the edge of a ridge. Turning to face it, she waited for the monster to take a swipe at her, dodged it easily, and bounced mockingly on the top of its head. Her two friends – the blonde and their leader – appeared then and kicked it right off the side of the cliff. It spiraled towards the ground – and a rather painful demise. As Sora watched, the blonde and the leader jumped up and high-fived each other victoriously before following their black clad friend towards even more of their enemies.

Leon had arrived on the scene, and was even now standing back to back with Cloud. They were surrounded by Heartless, but their weapons were held aloft, and Cloud didn't even look _slightly_ concerned as the beasts edged them on towards the side of yet another cliff.

"Think you can handle this many?" Leon asked without turning his head.

"Well…" Cloud replied with a shrug. "Might be tough if one more shows up." His voice dripped with sarcasm. What difference would one more make? They were already outnumbered enough as it was! Leon recognized and acknowledged it: They had reason to be concerned. But it was _useless_ asking if they could handle so many, because neither one of them had any real control over the situation. All they could do was fight. And neither one of them was afraid of a little violence.

He smirked. "Then that'll have to be the one I take care of."

Cloud scoffed. "What, you're fighting too?" Leon didn't wait to respond. Moving together, he and the soldier jumped apart, laying waste to absolutely everything in their sights. Before long, they were on opposite sides of the ledge, and the Heartless were closing in on Cloud.

He fought valiantly, but not even _he_ had the training that Leon did. His strength definitely surpassed, but he was not a _real_ Soldier, and he was not a SeeD. The Heartless swarmed down on him, and for a split second he feared the worst.

But then… there was another flash of silvery green light. An unexpected surge of heat brushed against Cloud's face. Moments later, with a thunderous crash, the Heartless were gone. Hardly able to catch his breath, Cloud turned his head in time to watch as the one-winged Soldier of his past swung his long, lethal blade, striking down over a dozen Heartless with a single blow.

"Sephiroth!"

Cloud lifted up his own massive sword to meet his enemy's, who had, by now, turned on him. The tips of their blades just barely touched as Sephiroth calmly regarded the man whose life he had just saved for this one moment. "I understand that you've been looking for me."

"Yeah," Cloud acknowledged hatefully, holding the hilt of his sword so tightly he thought it might break. "Once I get rid of you, the darkness will go away."

Sephiroth seemed to be greatly amused by such words. "Can you do it?" Cloud scowled as his foe carried on taunting him. "That darkness comes from your own dark memories. Do you think you can erase your past?"

"Shut up!" Cloud commanded, though he must have known that Sephiroth would never oblige him. There was anguish in his voice. Anguish that couldn't be easily cast aside. Sephiroth took advantage of it – and not for the first time.

"Face it," he mocked. "You turn your back on the present and live in the past. Because the light of the present is too much!"

"You don't know me!" Cloud objected. But he didn't sound at all convinced. He sounded angry and afraid.

"Cloud!" Tifa came racing from the protrusions below, dodging Heartless as she desperately sought after the one who mattered most to her.

Alarm crossed Cloud's face as he sensed her, for he knew all too well the kinds of things Sephiroth might do to those who were close to him. He turned his head quickly to locate her, to warn her away, to tell her not to come. But… just as he was about to catch sight of her, something within him sparkled and shined brightly. It caused his ears to ring and his head to pound. There was a brilliant flash of light, and it burned… it stung… Cloud winced and looked quickly back at Sephiroth. To his extreme dismay, it was the familiar sight of his own sworn enemy that eased such pain and brought relief.

"I know," Sephiroth said softly. Almost understandingly. "Because… I am you." He disappeared, leaving behind only a couple of feathers to prove that he had even been there at all. Cloud grimaced, but quickly took off in search of him. Nothing had changed. Even now, after all that had happened, Cloud could do naught but pursue.

"Cloud!" Tifa called after him desperately as several Heartless cut her off. "Wait!" She sensed one approaching her from behind and quickly hit it with the back of her powerful fist. She punched another that got in her way, and quickly kicked a third with all the force that she could muster. Somehow… she just _had_ to catch up with Cloud!

That was the way everything seemed to be. Sora could understand her frustration all too well as he watched the fight from the bailey above. Everyone seemed to be heading in different directions… but they all wanted the same thing. Tifa couldn't keep up with Cloud, as Sora couldn't keep up with the King. Mickey _wanted_ to help him find Riku, but wouldn't tell him anything about his friend's whereabouts. Everyone was in danger. Sora felt like he was slipping… it was so hard holding on. The only thing that kept him from falling anymore seemed to be his own determination to keep the others safe.

"Leon," he carefully climbed past the rocks and out of the bailey, making his way towards the path that led down to the cliffs and ledges where his friends were battling the Heartless. "Everybody… hang in there!" Donald and Goofy followed his lead as he steadied himself on the uneven ground. The last thing he needed was to stumble and fall on the loose rocks and soil shifting beneath his feet. But once he was sure of himself, he immediately set off downwards towards the Heartless.

Not that he got very far, though. He didn't even make it three feet before the King himself literally fell from the sky above and landed squarely in his path! Sora, Donald, and Goofy all stopped short in surprise as Mickey – who stood with his back to them, facing the Heartless gravely – held out his arms, preventing them from charging into battle. "Okay, fellas, you've gotta go find Riku and Kairi!"

It was what he wanted. Yes, it was definitely what he wanted. But… what with Cloud searching for Sephiroth… Tifa searching for Cloud… Aerith… Yuffie… Leon… Leon. Sora couldn't just leave them hanging like this! He shook his head, walking towards the King imploringly. "But Leon and the others are friends too!"

"Don't worry," Mickey said reassuringly – though Sora was hardly reassured. "There's already lotsa help here. We'll take care of this fight."

"But…" Sora wondered how much trouble he'd be in if he openly defied his friends' King. This wasn't the same Mickey he had met when he, Donald, and Goofy had gone back in time. _That_ Mickey would have at least _looked_ at them! Sora hesitated, feeling torn painfully apart. "I promised Leon!"

What exactly was it that he wanted? He wanted to help Leon, Cloud, and the others, that much was for sure. But he also _desperately_ wanted to find Riku. And he wanted to rescue Kairi! He couldn't do it all, could he?

Now, if nothing else, Mickey was an intuitive King. He sensed Sora's hesitation. He sensed Sora's uncertainty. And he knew exactly what it meant. Nevertheless, he _still_ didn't turn around to face them. He had to concentrate on the fight that was yet ahead. Besides, he still had two faithful subjects he could always fall back on. Two subjects… who hadn't failed him yet. "Donald! Goofy!"

The Knight and wizard snapped to attention immediately, without a moment's delay. Yes, Sora was their best friend. But Mickey was their King!

"Take Sora and get goin'!"

There was no mistaking it for anything else. They could all recognize a command when they heard one. And the authority in Mickey's voice would stand for no disobedience. So that was it, then. The King was commanding Donald and Goofy to take Sora by force, and drag him away from this fight if it proved necessary.

_Why doesn't he want me fighting?_ Sora felt the mounting frustration rising up inside him. What was he _supposed_ to do? The King wouldn't tell him where Riku was. The King wouldn't let him fight. Didn't Mickey trust him? Didn't Mickey know that he could handle himself just fine? He _had_ defeated Ansem after all! Or… rather… actually Ansem's imposter's Heartless, now that he thought about it.

No. It didn't matter. Because if he left now, he'd have to spend the rest of his life regretting whatever might happen here once he was gone. And that was something he just couldn't do!

"Riku, Kairi… give me a little time, okay?" He wondered if they could hear him. Donald and Goofy certainly could. They glanced at each other in concern, both wondering whether or not minding their King was worth causing their friend more anguish. Nodding their heads, they silently made a mutual decision that would no doubt affect their lives forever. They straightened up, and prepared for what they knew must come.

"Your Majesty!" Donald quacked with a little bow.

"We understand," Goofy assured him obediently. "We'll go search for Riku and Kairi!" Sora turned towards them in dismay, his heart plummeting in his chest. He couldn't believe this! Maybe he could defy the King… But now his friends, too?

"Right," Mickey said firmly, as confident in himself and his two subjects as ever. He expected Sora to complain. He understood the boy was upset. But this _was_ the right choice. One day Sora would see that. "Watch for danger!" Donald and Goofy both knew… that in times of crisis, this was his way of saying goodbye.

"You be careful, too!" Donald implored, unable to meet Sora's, his dear friend's, crestfallen gaze.

"Wait, you guys!" The boy was practically begging, now. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that he couldn't fight them. He just _couldn't_. They were his friends! He looked frantically back at Mickey, who still wouldn't face him, but who continued to scout the area for weaknesses in the Heartless' number. What could he possibly say now that would convince the King he could stay and fight? He wasn't a child! But then… why did he feel so much like one? His friends were certainly treating him like he was!

"Sora, do as you're told!" Donald commanded. The boy looked back at him dejectedly, failing to notice the slight edge in the wizard's tone.

"You're comin' with us whether ya want to or not!" Goofy said in a voice that was decidedly cheerful. Sora frowned, wondering what the Knight could _possibly_ be cheerful about at a time like this.

"C'mon, Sora!" Donald urged, and this time the boy could definitely tell that something was up. He glanced back and forth between the two in dawning realization. "Ya gotta be good!" The wizard winked and grinned in a way that only ducks could grin. He made no effort to hide it, for the King wasn't looking, and couldn't possibly see.

Sora smiled. "Gotcha."

"Well then," Goofy stepped towards him, waving his hands urgently towards the cliffs and the Heartless. "Skedaddle!"

Sora's expression softened considerably as his frustration melted away. He could always count on his friends. By now, he ought to have understood that better than he did. Mickey was their King. But Sora was their _best_ friend. They would follow him blindly. Through thick and thin. Always and forever. He mouthed the words: Thank You.

"Let's go!" Donald suggested brightly, his eyes shining. Together, the three of them bounded towards the Heartless, dodging King Mickey as they made their way down the path towards the cliffs.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty!" Sora called over his shoulder as Donald and Goofy both paused long enough to look back at their startled King and give him their salute. It was the first time since Mickey had ambushed them there that any of them had seen his face. And he definitely looked astounded.

"Hope you can forgive us!" Goofy proclaimed in a voice that was confident and unconcerned. After all, they knew their King very, very well, and once the three of them had all bounded completely out of sight down the path towards the Heartless, Mickey let out a resigned sigh. He definitely should have seen _this_ one coming. There was no point in being angry. Sora followed his own heart, and his friends backed him up. Maybe… maybe _that_ was why _he_ was the chosen wielder of the Keyblade.

**ooooooo**

**A/N:** Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

**ooooooo**

One of the Hollow Bastion's many castle gates lay ahead of them, and they would have to pass by it in order to get at the Heartless. The town itself had been built outside the castle's ramparts. It, along with Ansem's study, the postern, and the Restoration Site, lay behind Sora, while the castle itself was directly in front of him. It was already overrun by Heartless, and now those same monsters were making their way up the cliffs towards the town. They needed to be beaten!

As did that one Nobody. Sora, Donald, and Goofy all stopped short as the tall, blonde haired man in that same, familiar black coat, turned to face them. He was holding his hands nervously in front of him, and wore a rather agitated smile on his face. As Sora summoned his Keyblade, and as Donald held up his staff, and Goofy his shield, the Nobody backed away uncertainly.

"Hey," he said, trying – and failing miserably – to sound cheerful and pleasant. "You guys are looking lively."

"Scram!" Donald squawked angrily, jumping up and down to emphasize his meaning.

Sora scowled. "Didn't we catch you messing around in the Underworld?" This Nobody had certainly caused enough trouble as it was already. But then… Sora's scowl turned into a taunting scoff. "How'd a wimp like you get into Organization XIII?" The Nobody backed away in obvious fear, and Sora crossed his arms knowingly. "I bet you can't even fight."

"Yeah!" Donald agreed enthusiastically. "But we can!"

The Nobody sighed and waved a finger, leaning forward almost playfully as he rested his other arm on his hip. "You shouldn't judge anyone by appearance."

Sora, Donald, and Goofy all held up their weapons, not in the least bit amused. Where did _he_ get off lecturing them? Right now he was regarding them uncertainly, but quickly turned away as if looking for a place to run and hide. "Oohhh… I told them they were sending the wrong guy…"

"Who is this kook?" Sora wondered out loud. Surely the Organization wasn't full of cowards, was it?

"Remember, the Organization's made up of Nobodies," Goofy pointed out, though Sora had already known that. But what he had forgotten… what he hadn't remembered until right now… was that courage came from the heart. And if this guy was a Nobody…

"Right," Sora exclaimed, pointing his finger directly at the man's head. "No hearts!" No hearts. No feelings. Nothing. But… maybe there _was_ something. Sora's accusation must have struck a chord, for the Nobody turned back around halfheartedly and glanced at the boy despondently.

"Oh, we do too have hearts!" he whined. It sounded almost like he was trying to convince himself of that as much as he was them. "Don't be mad…"

"You can't trick us!" Donald scolded a bit too harshly, which caused the Nobody to wince and look back around. Staring at his back… Sora couldn't help but feel an inkling… There had been something in the Nobody's voice… something that caught the boy's attention. If he didn't have a heart… well… he must really want one terribly.

Suddenly, the Nobody tensed. His back grew rigid, and he slowly turned around once again. His gaze had hardened, and when he turned his eyes onto Sora, the boy felt a chill run down his spine.

The Nobody pointed his finger directly at the chosen wielder of the Keyblade. "Silence, traitor." Sora blinked. _Traitor?_ The first time they had met this particular Nobody, he had called Sora: Roxas. And now… traitor? What was going on?

The finger that had been pointed at Sora presently lifted up and reached towards the sky. The next thing any of them knew, a dome of water formed around the Nobody, who let out a sharp cry. Seconds later, the dome sparkled luminously and reformed itself as a bubble in the Nobody's hand. The bubble erupted, taking the shape of a large, ugly sitar – which was a kind of stringed instrument. Spinning it around, the Nobody regarded Sora with a smirk. "Dance, water, dance!"

It was the same thing as when Sora and his two friends had fought the Nobody in the Underworld. Several bodies of water appeared around the Nobody, taking his shape and holding up deadly, identical weapons. They all charged towards Sora, who jumped into the air, vaulting over their heads. Donald immediately held up his staff, shooting magical bolts of lightning at any water clone that got too close.

Sora wasn't quite sure what good the Nobody thought a little bit of _water_ was going to do for him. All it took from the boy was a mighty swipe of his Keyblade to tear the clones apart. Deformed, the water splashed back down onto the ground, becoming a hindrance to Sora only when it loosened the soil enough to cause the earth to slide out from beneath his feet. Whenever that happened, he found himself stumbling and struggling to keep upright.

One such instance actually _did_ bring Sora down to his knees, and he looked up in time to watch as one water clone held up a rather large sitar, intending to slam it heavily against the boy's head. He tensed, waiting for the inevitable attack to come. But it didn't.

Goofy's shield appeared first, spinning through the air like some kind of Frisbee. It spun through the water clone, causing the liquid to crash down onto the ground in a large puddle. And as for the sitar… Sora grinned, releasing his Keyblade long enough to reach for his enemy's weapon. The instrument started bouncing around, as if sensing the boy's grip and hoping to detach it. But Sora held on, using all his strength to force it towards the remaining water clones. Plowing it into them, he watched as it literally ripped them all apart.

He dropped the sitar and summoned back his Keyblade, turning his sights towards the Nobody. He was angrily charging towards Goofy, who had somehow reclaimed his shield. The Knight held it up in front of himself, blocking the Nobody as he slammed his own sitar heavily against the metal.

Donald held up his staff again, blasting lightning bolt after lightning bolt at their enemy, who angrily jumped away from Goofy, successfully evading each attack. Dripping wet as it was, Sora gripped his Keyblade firmly in hand before quickly diving towards the Nobody, ignoring the blasts of water that were magically being bombarded at him with every step by the enemy. The water was cold, and surprisingly painful. These blasts did more damage than all those clones put together! But Sora endured them, reaching the Nobody as fast as possible. With a single swing of the Keyblade, he batted the sitar out of his way, and then hammered the Nobody as viciously as he could.

"No way!" the Nobody screamed in agony, dropping his sitar and holding up his arms to shield himself from the blade. Sora instinctively jumped away from him, his gentle nature preventing him from actually slaughtering a man – even if, in reality, he only just _looked_ like a man… A man that was now crumbling to the ground.

"I…" Sora held his hand out towards the Nobody, who looked back up at him forlornly from where he lay. But… before anything more could be said, the Nobody suddenly burst apart into water… and was gone completely.

Regret and sympathy were quick to leave the boy. Something about all this… it just wasn't fair! Something inside of him… something he couldn't even begin to identify… was screaming in bitterness and despair. Why did it have to be this way? The Nobodies… A part of Sora's own heart felt close to them… felt exactly the same as them… but, at the same time, hated them so much! _Why should they get to…?_ He just wanted to lash out at them! To make them regret everything they'd done! To make them regret simply _being_ when there was a part of him that… that just couldn't…

Sora ran forward and sliced his Keyblade through the air, looking up at the sky furiously. "Anyone from the Organization who'd like to be next?"

Donald and Goofy glanced at each other in surprise and concern, sensing their friend's displeasure. The two of them quickly stepped forward in worried disapproval.

"Hey, Sora!" Donald called for the boy's attention, and he looked back at the duck almost resentfully. "Don't antagonize them!"

"Yeah," Goofy agreed in a much gentler tone. "We gotta go help our friends out first." Sora could see the looks in their eyes. He thought about their friends. Leon. Cloud. All of the rest. Now wasn't the time to lose his head. He didn't want to end up proving the King right after all. He could handle this! He just _had_ to!

"Oh," he said, trying to control his voice. "Sorry."

Donald sensed that they had to move Sora on rather quickly towards the Heartless. Get him fighting again. Get him distracted from the Organization. That Nobody had, at least in the wizard's mind, only called Sora a traitor to mess with his head. And it seemed to be working. "Then let's go!" he urged, bouncing towards the path ahead that winded on down towards the swarming Heartless. Slowly, Sora and Goofy followed.

"Aha! There you are!"

The three of them all stopped short in alarm. Of course they _should_ have expected this. Naturally, the King was perfectly capable of catching up with them. And now… now they had to answer to him for their disobedience. Slowly, they turned around to watch as Mickey walked up to them and crossed his arms in disapproval.

_This is it,_ Sora realized as he watched Donald and Goofy avert their eyes and stare shamefacedly at their feet. He did likewise, closing his own eyes in defeat. No doubt King Mickey would scold them and once again order that they retreat. Sora couldn't expect his friends to defy their King _again_!

Mickey watched them all thoughtfully, however, and then smiled. Sora was following his heart after all. It wasn't the King's place to turn him away. "You sure have lotsa friends to help. So, I guess we better all pull together and finish this battle for good!"

Sora opened his eyes and looked up in surprise. Was he…? Mickey winked, and the boy felt his heart suddenly filling back up again with a renewed vigor that restored and rejuvenated him completely. He could tell that Donald and Goofy were feeling the exact same way as they both straightened up and puffed out their chests. "Yes, Your Majesty!"

"All right," Mickey nodded and spun around. Together, the four of them made their way towards the path that would lead them into battle.

But the battle was already raging on all around them. When it happened… Sora hardly knew what was going on. He saw a shadow on the ground first… a shadow of something flying through the air above him. The next thing he could remember, Goofy was shouting something and frantically lunging forward.

The boy jerked to a halt, too stunned to move. Look out! That's what Goofy had said. Now, _he_ was sprawling across the ground, a large rock having landed squarely against his head. The King was lying several feet away, dazed, but unharmed. Goofy had…

Goofy had seen a Heartless and a Nobody fighting up on a ledge above them. In the heat of the fight, several rocks had been blasted apart, sending debris flying in every direction. One such rock had been heading straight towards the King. If Goofy hadn't of seen it… Mickey would have been crushed. But now… the Knight was lying on the ground… and he wasn't moving.

"No…" Mickey whispered as he pushed back up to his feet, staring at Goofy's body in horror. Sora couldn't breathe. This couldn't… This couldn't…

Together, he, Mickey, and Donald all rushed towards the fallen Knight. Donald immediately grabbed his friend and started shaking him, caught in the grips of terrified denial. "Hey! You're the King's Captain! You gotta get up!"

Sora knelt down beside the wizard, reaching for one of Goofy's hands. "C'mon, wake up!"

"I'm sorry about the ice cream!" Donald exclaimed, quacking in anguish. Sora closed his eyes and shook his head. This all felt so… surreal. It couldn't be happening!

Mickey edged towards his faithful Knight, guilt flooding through every fiber of his soul. This was the price for being King. Those you cared about… Those who loved you… Those who served you… They would give their lives for you… To protect their King. "Goofy…?"

Donald's quacking turned into wails. He stared up at the sky in pure despair. "Ohhhhh…. Goofy…" He collapsed, his head landing heavily against the Knight's chest. Sora backed away, shaking his head as tears welled up in his eyes. The next thing he knew, he couldn't bring himself to so much as even stand.

"This is not happening…" he muttered. "It can't be happening… It can't…" Goofy had been his friend through all of this. How was he supposed to… They needed Goofy! He and Donald… How could they be expected to do this without him?

Mickey stood where he was, unable to bring himself any closer to his friends. This was… his fault… All of it was. He should never of…! Donald's quacking wails echoed in his ears. Sora's look of devastation haunted his vision. It just wasn't right! He turned angrily towards the Heartless who were even now continuing to climb their way up those cliffs, hindered only by the Restoration Committee. This needed to stop. Now. Before anyone else got hurt.

Anger caused his fists to clench tightly. "They'll pay for this." Sora glanced up in time to watch the King throw off the black cloak that he had been wearing as a disguise up until now. Underneath, he was dressed in bright crimson garments. His outstretched, white gloved hand – which he had used to cast aside his cloak – now summoned forth a golden Keyblade much like Sora's. Slashing it through the air and holding it aloft in front of him, Mickey raced towards the path that would carry him down straight on towards the Heartless.

Donald heard him go and quickly leapt to his feet. Quacking loudly in anger that surpassed even the King's, the wizard dove around Goofy's fallen body and charged. Sora instinctively stretched out his hand, meaning to grab Donald and hold him back… but he only did so halfheartedly… and rather unsuccessfully. Feeling all too helpless, he watched as his friends abandoned Goofy to go to battle.

_We can't just leave him here! We can't just leave him here all alone!_ He slowly got to his feet, looking back at the valiant Knight. Goofy… He stared at his feet. It surprised him how much this hurt. He felt… dizzy… faint… Angry… Anger surged through him as he once again looked after Donald and Mickey. Inevitably he saw the swarm of Heartless. And inevitably he felt the same desire to plow right through them and make them _pay_ for causing this to happen!

_This is… for Goofy!_ He ran after the King, just as the wizard had. The path led down to another ledge – but the drop down wasn't that far. Sora bounded over it, leaping into a ravine that coiled all the way down to the foot of those cliffs. He started down the trail, attacking Heartless whenever they came at him.

"Sora, did you miss me?"

The boy turned his head sharply in time to watch as the black haired ninja princess threw her shuriken at multiple little demons. She glanced at him with a wide, mischievous grin. "Yuffie is on the scene!"

Sora shook his head and focused once more on killing Heartless. He leapt towards the sky, coming back down on them with several ruthless aerial attacks. Pink heart after pink heart appeared and floated towards the heavens. Every time his Keyblade killed one… there was another pink heart. So many hearts… And yet… nothing for Goofy.

"All right!" Yuffie shouted at him when the number of Heartless thinned around them. "Get going!" Sora nodded and started down the ravine trail once again. Before long, however, more appeared, rising up from the ground. Sora attacked them, hardly noticing when Leon appeared to his right.

"Go!" the mercenary urged him, holding off the Heartless with extreme ease even as he pointed in the direction taken by the King. Nothing else seemed to matter, Sora realized as he obeyed the man. Goofy had sacrificed himself to protect the King. That was all any of them could do… wasn't it?

He progressed even further down the trail, fighting off the Heartless, watching as pink hearts rose up towards the sky.

"I'll help!"

Sora glanced to his left, pinpointing Tifa as she savagely pounded a Heartless in the face with her fist. He remembered watching her practically tearing Ansem's study room apart, when she was looking for Cloud earlier. Sometimes… when he was looking for Riku, he felt like doing the exact same thing. But right now… he just wanted to slay more Heartless. For Goofy.

"Hurry!" Tifa paused for a second to fix her eyes on him. "Go on ahead!" She didn't wait for a response, but carried on fighting. And Sora did as well, running down the ravine trail until there were just too many Heartless for him to get by.

Attacking them with his Keyblade, Sora sensed someone jumping down from a ledge above. He turned his head quickly, watching as Cloud slammed his excruciatingly broad sword into the ground. Several Heartless were knocked down as the soldier met the boy's gaze and called his name.

Sora narrowed his eyes and turned away, angrily running the Keyblade through the Heartless. Pink heart after pink heart… floating upwards… towards the sky… like Goofy.

**ooooooo**

**A/N:** Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

**ooooooo**

At the end of the ravine, there was a large fissure made up of blue… purple… indigo crystals… It would have been beautiful… if Sora could have found it in himself to appreciate such wonder. But he couldn't. Not right now. Not like this.

Donald and Mickey were both already there, inside the fissure, waiting for him. He couldn't meet their gazes. Out of breath, tired, and weary of it all, Sora released the Keyblade. It disappeared with a flash of silver light, and he bent over, resting his hands on his knees. Goofy… Goofy… Goofy…

"Are you okay?" Mickey asked, his voice filled with concern. How could Sora possibly answer a question like that?

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, straightening up. It was the truth, really. His body was stiff and it ached, yes, but it wasn't like he wouldn't ever heal. Aside from a few scratches, he wasn't in bad shape. "But…"

Donald and Mickey watched him expectantly, though it really didn't take either one of them long at all to finish Sora's sentence in their heads. They both looked down at their feet, closing their eyes miserably. Donald softly moaned. "Ohh, Goofy…"

"Hey, fellas!"

The cry came from behind Sora. The King and his wizard both hopped in surprise, looking up in openmouthed astonishment. Turning slightly, Sora glanced over his shoulder, only to see Goofy himself standing at the fissure's entrance. The Knight didn't look to be in the slightest bit of pain, and was even jumping up and down, waving and grinning idiotically.

"GOOFY!"

Sora couldn't believe his eyes. It was absurd, really. All that anger he had felt… and Goofy wasn't even seriously injured! The Knight was skipping his way over towards them now, pressing his hand up against his head while speaking about the accident as if it had been nothing at all. "Ya know, that really hurt!" From the tone in his voice, Sora figured that rock had hurt him, Donald, and the King more than it had the Knight. It really, really _was_ kind of absurd. But Sora wasn't complaining!

"Aw," Mickey leapt towards his friend, wrapping his arms around the talking dog's waist in a great big hug. "Goofy!" The Knight looked flustered by such a show of friendship.

"Gawrsh, Yer Majesty," he said, sensing the need to comfort his King. "I get bumped on the head _all_ the time." It was true. Goofy wasn't exactly the most graceful of Knights. His clumsiness, as Mickey and Donald were both well aware, was famous back home at the Disney Castle. Sora couldn't help it. He started to laugh.

Donald, on the other hand, most definitely could. Hunching over, the wizard strutted forward with a hard glint in his beady eyes. Mickey stepped away from Goofy as the two of them both watched Donald approach. Seconds later, the talking duck held up his staff and savagely hammered it against Goofy's shin.

The Knight howled, jumping away from Donald as he bounced around on one foot, clutching his injured leg tightly in his hands. He almost fell over. Sora winced sympathetically as Goofy stared down at Donald in extreme distress. "That hurt, too!"

But Donald hardly cared. He was shaking awfully, and Sora couldn't blame him. _He_ was shaking too, though not nearly as bad as the wizard. They had been so scared… so frightened and certain that they had lost someone close to them. It wasn't always easy getting over something like that. Donald's wide beak was quivering. "Ooohhhh… Don't you ever do that again!"

Yep. Donald was hopping mad. But… only because he was so relieved. He couldn't hide it, and Goofy couldn't help but smile sheepishly. Mickey grinned, gazing back and forth between the two happily. And from where he stood, slightly apart from the three nobles, Sora let out a quiet sigh. Everything would be okay now.

Not wanting to interrupt the three as they shared in a happy reunion, the boy glanced around, looking to his right. The far side of the crystal fissure was there, clearly visible. The way out was huge, and the crystals were glowing spectacularly on either side of the exit. In the distance, he thought he could see the old castle… the _dark_ old castle. It was calling to him. Beckoning. Taunting. He faced it completely. Something… he wasn't quite sure what… but _something_… was lying ahead. And… he didn't know whether or not he truly wanted to meet it. But it was too late to turn back. He couldn't possibly retreat now.

"Sora?"

The boy glanced back over his shoulder at his friends. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. This time, they were the ones who were waiting for _him_. Sora nodded, and together, the four of them made their way out of the fissure. What lay beyond was a great maw – an area that seemed to be completely surrounded by cliffs and rocky hills that towered towards the sky. Were it not for the narrow path that twisted its way onwards to the castle in the distance, Sora knew without a doubt that he would have felt trapped and cornered.

They came to a stop now, taking in their surroundings while nervously apprehensive. The Heartless… they were larger here. Bigger. _Much_ more dangerous. But… they weren't moving. None of them were! They were all… frozen completely in place…

"Huh?" King Mickey turned his head both left and right, looking for some sort of explanation as to why the Heartless were behaving like statues.

"What's with them?" Sora asked, feeling his own heart in his throat. He'd had the Keyblade long enough to know perfectly well by now that whenever anything appeared to be even _slightly_ out of the ordinary, he could expect _real_ trouble. And… _this_ definitely qualified as out of the ordinary! Frozen solid Heartless?

"Hey!" Goofy shouted. Sora glanced towards him immediately, watching as the Knight pointed upwards to their left. He followed Goofy's finger, just in time to witness a large, dark black portal opening up at the top of yet another cliff. His heart steadily began to pound as that portal closed, leaving behind a tall figure dressed in a familiar black coat.

The Organization! Sora caught his breath. Slowly, that man at the top of the cliff reached his arm up and tore off his hood. It was… It was Ansem! Sora knew… he would recognize that silver hair, that dark face, those hard eyes, absolutely anywhere! It was Ansem! The man he had fought so hard to defeat! The man he thought he _had_ defeated! The man he… thought…?

Donald was saying something. Sora turned his head quickly to look at him, but he only managed to catch the wizard's last few words. "…who's _not_ Ansem!"

"You mean it's his Nobody!" Goofy corrected the talking duck, and suddenly Sora remembered. He remembered everything that Mickey had revealed to them back in Ansem's study. Ansem the Wise's study. Sora had never actually met Ansem. He had… only met the Heartless of Ansem's imposter. And that man up there… he was neither. He was… just a Nobody.

"The leader of Organization XIII," Sora concluded, watching as the Nobody turned to face them more fully, staring down at them from his lofty peak. The boy tensed. Something about the way that Nobody was watching him… he felt so exposed. Naked, even. But at the same time… wrapped up tightly in the coils of a treacherous darkness.

"Wait a minute!" Mickey suddenly exclaimed, shaking his head fiercely. "Now I know!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy all glanced at him in surprise, as a look of wonder crossed over his face. That wonder didn't last long, however, before it turned into bitter resent. "Now I remember! Xehanort! Ansem's apprentice!"

Xehanort? Sora looked back up at the man, and could see, even from such a distance, the faint, twisted smile now crossing his face. But… it was hardly a smile, the boy thought. That man up there… He wasn't pleased… or satisfied… or amused… or triumphant… Nor was he angry… or anything else! He was heartless… but at the same time, he wasn't even that. He wasn't anything. He was just… nothing.

"The leader of Organization XIII is Xehanort's Nobody!" Mickey exclaimed, holding out his hand and summoning forth his own Keyblade. Sora started in surprise as the King bounded towards the cliffs, obviously headed towards the Nobody at the top. He quickly turned towards Donald and Goofy.

"Let's go!"

The three of them wasted no time in starting after their King. But while Mickey was allowed to pass, _they_ most certainly were not. The Heartless that had been surrounding them like stone statues chose that exact moment to come to life. Donald quacked and Goofy gulped in alarm as the monsters closed in around them.

"Move it!" Sora shouted as he summoned his Keyblade. It appeared in his hands with a flash of light. Within seconds, he, Donald, and Goofy were standing in formation back to back, trying not to be too terribly daunted by the thousands of Heartless that were _literally_ encircling them. That were _literally_ encompassing them, bearing down on them from every direction imaginable.

"We can't let Xehanort get away!" Donald shouted, taking a moment to glance over his shoulder at Sora.

"Right!" the boy quickly agreed. He had dealt with worse things than this before! It was just that… at that particular moment… he couldn't exactly remember any of them…

Hesitating, he found himself glancing back over his own shoulder. Donald and Goofy… they both looked perfectly ready for a fight. A major fight. They both looked so much more confident than Sora felt. And… when they sensed his gaze… they both turned back to meet it with encouraging smiles. They gave Sora thumbs up. They weren't scared. Not one bit. They had faith in him… and in each other… He took strength from that, and smiled himself.

Without a word, Donald and Goofy tore off in different directions. Sora took a deep breath, and quickly faced forward. Holding up his Keyblade, allowing himself to feel no more doubts, no more hesitation, he charged towards the Heartless. This was it, then. One against a thousand. One against an army. One against the darkness.

**ooooooo**

It was incredible, really. From where he stood, Xemnas watched as the chosen wielder of the Keyblade tore through his Heartless as if they were nothing but flies. Jumping. Diving. Leaping through the air. Sora was fast. Probably too fast. And he was smart. He knew to use the Heartless against each other. To take advantage of their own attacks… while destroying them.

If Xemnas could feel, he would have felt pleased. Sora would defeat one thousand Heartless, while _he_ stood at the top of that cliff, watching and enjoying the show. Pink hearts were constantly floating towards the sky. Xemnas had the perfect vantage point to witness it. _Very good, Sora._

"Good boy," the Nobody whispered, staring down at the child decimating his army. "Good boy."

**ooooooo**

**A/N:** Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

**ooooooo**

Sora could barely breathe as he ran up the path towards the top of the cliff where Xehanort's Nobody was standing. That fight… unbelievable… he was… so tired… His arms felt like lead. He was so dizzy! Stumbling to a halt, Sora nearly dropped the Keyblade as he fought for oxygen.

He heard rocks sliding from behind him. Turning his head quickly, he sighed upon discovering that it was only Donald and Goofy. He didn't think he'd be able to stand the sight of another Heartless… "Where's the King?"

His two friends glanced around, but the only sight they could see on either side of them were just more rocks jutting upwards towards the sky. If King Mickey was anywhere, he'd be somewhere up ahead. And, sure enough, when Donald glanced towards the clearing at the top of the path they were on, he could see the mouse expertly slaying a Heartless with that golden Keyblade of his. "There he is!"

Sora and Goofy both followed the wizard's gaze. As soon as the Heartless Mickey had been up against was defeated, the King turned and hastened away from them. Once again, they were behind and _needed_ to catch up! Sora instinctively pushed aside his fatigue, and held up his Keyblade. "C'mon!" Moving quickly, the three of them sprinted together up the path towards the top of the cliff.

From up there, Maleficent's castle was clearly visible. The view alone was enough to bring back painful memories… but Sora knew he couldn't dwell on them anymore than he could dwell on his weariness. Xehanort's Nobody was still standing at the edge of that cliff, staring out towards Maleficent's castle without a care in the world. Or so it seemed.

King Mickey himself was standing directly behind him, staring at his back rather sternly. He was without question ready for anything. Nevertheless, when Sora, Donald, and Goofy made their way up behind him, and when Donald called out to him, he looked back at them in alarm. He didn't particularly want… He would have rather had them elsewhere.

But there was nothing he could do about that now, and so he quickly turned back towards the Nobody before his three young followers could do or say anything else. "Xehanort!"

The silver haired man still wouldn't face them. Instead, he glanced grimly up towards the sky where, just a few minutes ago, countless hearts had been flying. "How long has it been since I abandoned that name…?"

Sora wouldn't stand for anymore waiting. He had come this far. He just needed to know! And if the King refused to tell him… than… maybe Xehanort might. "Out with it, Nobody! Where's Kairi? Where's Riku?"

The frustration was obvious in his voice. Mickey could hear it, and it was all he could do to contain his worry. Sora wasn't ready for this… Xehanort's Nobody sensed that, and was more than willing to take advantage of it. "I know nothing of any Kairi. As for Riku…" He slowly turned around, his expression harder than Sora had ever seen it before. He tensed, feeling his stomach tightening. Xehanort's Nobody leaned forward. "Perhaps you should ask your King."

Sora flinched, and turned to look at Mickey. His King… His King didn't look at all happy with the Nobody. In fact, he looked angrier than ever. They were all being mocked. Something truly awful must have happened to Riku. If Mickey couldn't bring himself to explain it, and if the Organization's leader was using it as a taunt… it must truly be awful.

_Why am _I_ the only one who doesn't know what's going on?_

"Stop!" Mickey suddenly shouted. Sora jumped as the King charged towards the Nobody, who had now, once again, opened the portal of darkness around him. Sora's eyes widened, and he didn't hesitate to rush forward as well. He had lost his chance to get into the realm of darkness the last time it had been open to him. He couldn't let it happen again. Besides, Mickey knew where Riku was! Sora needed answers… and he needed them _now_!

But… once again… he just wasn't fast enough. The portal closed, and once it was gone, there wasn't any sign of Xehanort's Nobody or the King whatsoever. Sora jerked to a stop, his heart beating a thousand times per second. And it took him _several_ seconds to realize what just happened.

"He's gone…"

All the life inside him seemed to die. His last chance… His one last chance… to see Riku again was gone. No longer able to ignore his exhaustion, Sora collapsed onto the ground, and started beating it weakly with his fist. _Riku… Where are you? I just want to see you again…_ It all felt… so hopeless…

A comforting hand touched his shoulder, and Sora looked up dejectedly to see Goofy leaning over him. The sympathy on the Knight's face did next to nothing for the boy. Though it reminded him that even now he wasn't alone, it made him long for Riku and Kairi even more.

Donald stepped up behind them, a look of unexpressed sadness spilling out across his face. "Sora, Goofy." Sometimes it was hard for the boy to remember that… they felt exactly the same way he did every time Mickey disappeared. Would he be safe? When would they be together again? Sora really _wasn't_ alone… He… he hated feeling like he was.

"Way to fall right into their trap."

Huh? All three friends turned their heads very quickly to catch sight of yet another man dressed in a black coat. This one was leaning against one of the rock walls jutting up from the path several feet away, and had thick, fiery red hair, bright blue-green eyes with one tiny mark flecked beneath each, and that same hard look on his face. Sora immediately gripped his Keyblade and started towards him, halting only when he was confident that the Nobody knew he was unquestionably ready for a fight. Behind him, Donald and Goofy were on guard as well, but their red-haired enemy didn't seem to be even slightly alarmed.

"C'mon," he said friendly enough as he pushed away from the rock and started towards them. There was… something familiar about him. Sora knew he had seen him before… but wasn't sure where. "It's a set-up by Organization XIII. Xemnas is using you to destroy the Heartless – that's his big master plan."

Sora frowned. If that was the case… why was this guy telling them all about it?

Obviously he wasn't the only one confused. Donald had questions, too. "Xemnas?" Who was he?

The Nobody in front of them smiled and pointed to the spot where Xehanort's Nobody had just been standing a few mere seconds ago. "The guy you just saw. He's their leader." Now he truly looked amused, and even leaned forward rather mockingly! "Got it… _memorized_?" Holding up his finger, he spelled the name out for them. "X-E-M N-A-S."

_This guy's nuts,_ Sora thought, staring at him with wide eyes. It certainly didn't help any that he was still trying to recover from all the information given to him by the King back at Ansem's study… Ansem… the Wise. His apprentice and Heartless imposter… Xehanort. And now Xehanort's Nobody… Xemnas. Leader of Organization XIII… whose "master plan" was to use _him_ to destroy… the Heartless? That didn't make any sense at all!

Goofy lowered his shield, equally baffled. "Organization XIII wants to get rid of the Heartless?"

Why?

The red-haired Nobody openly scoffed at them, which didn't please Sora at all. "Man, you're slow." He gestured towards the boy… or rather… he gestured towards the weapon being carried by the boy. "Every Heartless slain with that Keyblade releases a captive heart. That is what the Organization is after."

An image immediately came to mind. One that Sora had seen so many times… he had actually learned to… and grown accustomed to… simply disregarding it. Every time he killed a Heartless… Pink heart after pink heart… floated towards the sky. It was… starting to make more sense. Those hearts… they _had_ to have some kind of purpose… didn't they? But… once again… Sora couldn't help but wonder _why_ the Nobody was telling them all this.

"So what are those guys gonna do with the hearts?" Donald interrogated. Sora _knew_ that he should pay closer attention… but…

He fought the Heartless. He had no qualms about killing them. He had always thought nothing about those pink hearts before. If he was already doing exactly what the Organization wanted… why reveal it to him… so that he could find a way to defy them?

_"By the way, have you seen a man named Axel? I expect he's here somewhere."_

Sora remembered the words of a different Organization Nobody. One that he had met in Twilight Town.

_"You see, Axel's no longer acting in our best interest."_

"I'm not telling," the redhead presently informed the wizard in that same cocky, arrogant, mocking voice that Sora had heard so many times in the past. But… from where…?

Donald wasn't pleased. "Tell us!" His voice shook angrily, but even now… thoughts and contemplations regarding Organization XIII's plans for him weren't at the top of Sora's list of priorities.

This man _had_ to be Axel. It made sense. If that other Nobody believed Axel wasn't working in the Organization's best interests, then wouldn't _he_ be the one to slip Sora such information as this?

Back in Twilight Town, after listening to Hayner, Pence, and Olette's story regarding Kairi's arrival in their world, and then her kidnapping, Goofy had put forth the theory that maybe Axel was the one behind it all. Axel… maybe he was the one…

"You…" Sora lowered his Keyblade, much to Donald and Goofy's surprise. The Nobody looked at him curiously as he took a tiny step forward. "You're the one who kidnapped Kairi!"

"Bingo," the Nobody said, sounding impressed even as he pointed to himself. "The name's Axel. Got it… _memorized_?" He was mocking them again.

Sora couldn't care less about Organization XIII's plans now. The only thing that mattered… He took another step forward, his voice dripping with desperation. "Where is Kairi?"

That desperation echoed loudly in Axel's ears. Everything about his countenance changed, then and there. He hesitated, and stared down at his feet in genuine shame. Nobodies… they couldn't feel shame, could they?

Nevertheless, Sora sensed that… if he could just say the right thing… speak in the right tone… Axel _might_ just give in. "Please!" He released the Keyblade, not wanting it anymore. He didn't want _anything_ anymore. Just Kairi. He really _was_ desperate, which only seemed to make the Nobody feel even worse. "Just tell me!"

Axel sighed and stared forlornly up at the sky. "Look, about Kairi…" His gaze landed on Sora again, who could hear the sincerity in his voice. "I'm sorry."

_That's not good enough!_ Sora made to take another step forward, all the while struggling to find the right words to convince Axel… that he felt like _dying_ every time he couldn't see Kairi! He felt like dying… he wanted to see her so much!

What the boy didn't know… What the boy couldn't possibly know… was that Axel understood such sentiments all too well. There was someone _he_ needed to find… The other Nobodies wouldn't be satisfied until they had Kingdom Hearts. But Axel… All _he_ wanted was… was…

In any case, he understood exactly what Sora was feeling. He probably understood it better than anyone. And if a Nobody could sympathize with another person…

"Axel!"

The voice was a new one, and it instantly put the redhead on his guard. Sora, Donald, and Goofy all backed away in surprise as yet another dark portal opened and closed, revealing yet another Nobody. But _this_ Nobody Sora recognized, even from behind, as he positioned himself between the boy and the traitor. It was… the Nobody from Twilight Town. The Nobody who had first mentioned Axel to them.

Sora remembered… The long, silvery blue hair… The brutal scar left between his eyes that was shaped like an X… _This_ Nobody had warned them that Axel wanted to turn Sora into a Heartless. _This_ Nobody had claimed that the Organization would be brokenhearted should something happen to the boy. Such a claim… it made sense now… now that Sora understood what the Organization truly wanted…

"Saïx!" For the first time since his appearance on that cliffside, Axel truly looked alarmed. Turning away, he wasted no time whatsoever in opening his own dark portal that would carry him away, ideally to somewhere that Saïx wouldn't go, to escape. Sora's eyes widened and his stomach tightened. He couldn't miss his chance _again_! Without so much as even a warning to Donald and Goofy, he broke forward, meaning to follow Axel into the realm of darkness.

But the Nobody known as Saïx anticipated that, and held out his arm to stop the boy. Sora felt like a child again, with a grown-up protecting him. Axel was gone, and when Saïx glanced over his shoulder, he spoke in a decidedly reassuring tone – though his actual _voice_ couldn't be called anything other than apathetic. "We'll ensure he receives the maximum punishment."

Sora stared up at the Nobody in dismay. "I don't care about any of that!" First the King… and now this Saïx character… Everyone was trying to shelter him! He didn't want it! It was driving him mad! Didn't anyone understand that he couldn't do _anything_ while being treated like a kid? All he wanted… was to find Kairi and Riku… "Just let me into the realm of darkness, okay?"

Saïx turned around and faced him fully, considering his request. But then he shook his head. "If it's Kairi you're worried about, don't. We're taking very good care of her."

That was hardly a comfort, but it gave Sora hope. This Nobody knew where she was! She _was_ within reach! So close! He was almost there! "Take me to her!" If Saïx agreed… Sora could see her again… within minutes…

The Nobody continued to consider. His face looked… completely devoid of all life… but his eyes were sharp… intelligent… and manipulative. "Is she that important to you?"

"Yeah," Sora whispered. His heart wasn't beating… it was shaking. His entire body felt like it was shaking. _Kairi…_ "More than anything."

The Nobody narrowed his eyes. "Show me how important."

Goofy and Donald glanced at each other in concern. How did one go about proving his love for a girl to an absolute stranger? Sora himself was staring at his feet. Under Saïx's penetrating, piercing gaze, he felt vulnerable. More vulnerable than he ever had before in his entire life! Helpless, even. He didn't like it.

Slowly, he nevertheless knelt down onto the ground. Behind him, his two companions looked on in fear. It was all they could do not to lunge forward and stop the boy. Sitting there on his hands and knees, Sora submissively bowed his head. He truly was prostrated. Powerless. If Saïx were to strike at him now, he couldn't _possibly_ get to a defensive stance quickly enough to protect himself.

All for Kairi… He would give his life to see her again… Nothing else mattered.

Saïx was pleased. There wasn't any pleasure on his face… or in his voice… but Sora could sense it. Underneath all that indifferent composure… Saïx was enjoying himself, staring down at the boy chosen to brandish the Keyblade. Just one more hint of submission, Sora thought, and maybe he'd comply. "Please!"

Who would have ever seen this coming? Sora… begging…?

"So, you really _do_ care for her," Saïx allowed. He could use this to his advantage. "In that case…"

Sora closed his eyes, feeling the relief and the hope and the eagerness to be taken to Kairi welling up inside of him. Just a few more seconds… and they'd be together… He could almost hear her voice…

"The answer is no."

The brutal finality in Saïx's voice shattered all the hope that was left in Sora's heart. There was nothing worse… than to be denied something you longed for so terribly… right after your expectations had risen for it. "You rotten…" He jumped to his feet angrily. He _had_ to feel anger. After all… it was the only thing keeping him from tears.

Saïx nodded. And though Sora's emotions were clouding his vision, Donald, and even Goofy, could tell that this reaction was precisely what the Nobody had been after. Presently, he gazed at the boy in mock understanding. "Are you angry? Do you hate me?"

Sora never wanted to be accused of hating. But right now… not even Ansem himself… or Xehanort or Xemnas or whatever the heck his name actually was… could infuriate him more than Saïx.

The Nobody's voice hardened considerably. It turned into a command. Sora had shown him submission. And now Saïx was demanding it. "Then take that rage, and direct it at the Heartless." Slowly holding up his hand, he snapped his fingers. With a flash of darkness, several such beings appeared out of nowhere directly behind him.

Summoning his Keyblade, Sora backed up towards Donald and Goofy, who both instinctively fell into formation. It took them all a moment to remember Axel's warning… This was the Organization's trap. They _wanted_ Sora to fight the Heartless. It was… like a game of chess. The Nobodies moved the Heartless into position, hoping for Sora to take their pieces. But… what was the catch? He… he felt so cornered!

Saïx held out his arms, looking up at the sky. Still he seemed so emotionless… But there _was_ something he wanted, too. "Pitiful Heartless, mindlessly collecting hearts. And yet they know not the true power of what they hold. The rage of the Keyblade releases those hearts. They gather in darkness, masterless and free… until they weave together to make Kingdom Hearts." He looked back down at Sora, who met his gaze while trying to appear as unflinching as possible. In truth… he couldn't hide his mounting fear from anyone.

"And when that time comes," Saïx continued, his face darkening with desire. "We can truly, finally exist."

_Exist…?_ It wasn't… about control? Or domination? It was all about existence? Sora opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted before he could.

"What in the world do you think you're prattling on about?"

Sora turned his head quickly to watch as a large green flame rose up from the ground at the far end of the cliff. And when the fire died, the witch, Maleficent, remained. "Kingdom Hearts belongs to me! The heart of all kingdoms, the heart of all that lives." She held up her arms towards the sky, her own dark castle towering menacingly in the distant background behind her. "A dominion fit to be called Kingdom Hearts must be _my_ dominion!"

"Maleficent, no!" Sora nearly dropped the Keyblade as he turned fully towards her in alarm. He had enough experience with the witch to know exactly what was coming. He didn't think that even _she_ was a match for Saïx. In all likeliness, she'd only end up inadvertently helping him… like he himself already was. "No more Heartless!"

Maleficent scoffed, staring at the boy spitefully. "I do not take orders from you!" She held up her staff. Seconds later, there were five flashes of darkness as five more Heartless appeared surrounding Saïx. Sora's heart started racing as he looked back at the Nobody in mounting terror.

"Fool…" Saïx didn't look at all fazed. He seemed to be naturally dismal, but not even a band of hostile monsters could discourage him. It was as Sora had thought. Watching the Nobody snap his fingers a second time… watching as several white Dusks – common Nobodies – appeared… watching as they obliterated the Heartless… he _knew_ without a doubt that Saïx was a greater threat than Maleficent.

Slowly, the Dusks turned to face Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Somehow… they could all tell that those Nobodies weren't about to just leave the three alone. Sora tensed. _This can't be happening…_

But then… without warning… Maleficent teleported herself between the Nobodies and Sora. He would never have thought that _she_ would willingly get in the way of a bunch of Nobodies that clearly had their aggressive eyes set on her three greatest enemies. But sure enough… there wasn't any doubt about it… Maleficent began to glow, consumed by green flames. Holding her arms towards the sky, she wove together a spell. Upon its completion, she cast out her arms to either side, and a wall of green flames appeared directly behind her. It separated Sora from the Nobodies. It separated Sora from Saïx.

So… now it was her turn to shelter the boy. He couldn't stand it! The heat of the fire – and its smoke – brought water to his eyes.

"While I keep these creatures at bay," Maleficent suddenly spoke out, addressing him in a voice that was entirely conspiratorial. She wasn't sheltering him, he realized very quickly. She was instigating an alliance. "You devise a way to vanquish them – forever!"

"Maleficent…" Sora whispered, awed and astounded. Not too long ago… they had been terrible enemies. But now… she wanted his help. Like the Nobodies wanted his help. What was he _supposed_ to do? He couldn't help everyone! When was the last time he had ever felt this confused? This torn?

It… would have been easier if they all just wanted him dead. All he'd have to worry about then was self-defense. Maleficent was evil! So then… why did his heart feel _grateful_ to her for making such a gesture as this?

Ever so slightly, Saïx narrowed his eyes. Maleficent was growing into an annoyance he couldn't abide. Getting in his way like this… He didn't foresee any real difficulty in twisting the boy's arm, but if the witch continued to interfere, she would have to be eliminated. He nodded to the Dusks, and they dove towards Maleficent.

Sora flinched as the common Nobodies piled up on top of her. His entire being overflowed with concern, which _she_ couldn't help but sense and disdain.

"Do not misunderstand me," she turned her head slightly to look back at him in disgust. "I shall have my revenge on you yet." The Dusks were too many. They started dragging her down.

"Maleficent!" Sora shouted. Flames or no flames, he had to help her! Looking left, right, up, and down, he searched for some way to get past the fire.

"Leave!" Maleficent commanded from where she had crumbled to the ground, buried by Nobodies. "Now!"

He was sick and tired of people telling him to leave when all he wanted was to help. "I don't take orders from you!" He didn't even necessarily follow Mickey's orders, and Mickey was his King! The fire was burning out. Maleficent was weakening. There wasn't much time! Sora started forward, only to be jerked back by Donald, who had grabbed his arm.

"Sora! C'mon!" The wizard might have disobeyed Mickey, but he wasn't _about_ to disobey Maleficent. And this time, if it proved necessary to drag Sora out of there kicking and screaming, Donald would most definitely do so.

"But…" The boy looked back at him reluctantly. "What about…?" Glancing at Goofy, he could see that the Knight felt the same way. Even now he was approaching Sora with a look that said: Let's get out of here!

Sora shook his head. He didn't _want_ to leave! But Donald didn't let go of his arm, and he felt powerless to stop Goofy as the Knight took hold of his other one.

Saïx, however, wasn't ready to dismiss the boy just yet. Lifting his chin, he silently urged the other Nobodies to finish Maleficent off quickly. She had greatly underestimated them, and within seconds, she was gone. As were the flames that had attempted to shield Sora from Saïx. The boy wouldn't be escaping that easily.

Donald and Goofy were practically dragging Sora away, but they stopped short as several Nobodies appeared directly in their path. Completely cut off, they could do naught but look back at Saïx in horror.

"Now then," the Nobody said patiently. "Where did we leave off?" Nothing would change. As Saïx once again held up his hand and snapped his fingers, Sora knew that nothing would be allowed to change. The Dusks all disappeared in portals of darkness, and the Heartless reappeared, closing in on the three of them.

Saïx very specifically wanted Sora fighting Heartless. It was so obvious that it literally _hurt_. His entire being ached painfully with the knowledge that he was being forcibly manipulated to do the worlds more harm than good. He stared at the Heartless surrounding him in despair. "Which side are you guys on anyway?" Maleficent's…? Or Saïx's? Didn't they realize that Saïx actually _wanted_ them to be defeated?

"The Heartless ally with whoever's the strongest," Saïx presently informed the boy, much in the same manner that a teacher might address his student. Sora winced, looking back at the Heartless in growing understanding. They were puppets, too. They were all puppets! Puppets being pitted against each other without even having a choice! And… no doubt Saïx would see to it that the Heartless forced Sora to win.

The Nobody held up his arm and pointed it mercilessly at the boy. And the Heartless took heed, attacking Sora. Donald and Goofy both instinctively tried getting in their way, but were both brushed aside. Absolutely _nothing_ would stand between them and the wielder of the Keyblade.

_This can't be happening… _The boy closed his eyes tightly, feeling cold and numb as his body took control. Batting the Heartless away with the Keyblade, he opened his eyes only in time to watch helplessly as those pink hearts he had _always_ taken for granted hovered towards the sky. "No…"

Saïx was watching them, too. Those pink hearts… _They_ brought a cold, unfeeling smile to the Nobody's lips. Looking back at Sora, for the first time ever the boy could actually see a real expression twisting across his scarred face. And… it was praise.

"Yes, Sora!"

The boy cringed at the sound of such unwelcome approval.

"Extract more hearts," Saïx taunted triumphantly before calling up another dark portal through which he disappeared. His presence was no longer needed. Sora's arm had been bent well enough. There was nothing he could do to stop it now.

The hearts floating towards the sky were at that moment each consumed by darkness. They disappeared, and Sora could only imagine what fate awaited them. "No…" _This can't be real… it can't be real… it can't…_

Several other Heartless leapt towards him, and though Donald and Goofy both ran forward to meet them, there were just too many for Sora not to fight as well. But then, he didn't really have a choice in the matter, now did he? Either he fought… or he looked on helplessly as his friends were worn down. And _that_ was something he could never do.

"Maybe everything we've done… Maybe it was all for nothing."

How far _had_ they come? So long… so far… and there wasn't any end in sight! Kairi… Riku… when would he ever see them again?

Pink heart after pink heart after pink heart… floating upwards to the sky… only to be caught and trapped in darkness…

"What am I supposed to do if I can't use the Keyblade?"

Pink heart after pink heart after pink heart. He was just as trapped as they were. And right now… it didn't look like he would ever find his way back out of the darkness… and into light.

**ooooooo**

**A/N:** Please review!


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